Robin of Sherwood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Robin Of Sherwood | |
|---|---|
 Main title caption |
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| Genre | Drama |
| Running time | 1 Hour |
| Creator(s) | Richard Carpenter |
| Starring | Michael Praed Jason Connery Judi Trott Nickolas Grace Robert Addie Ray Winstone Clive Mantle Phil Rose Mark Ryan Peter Llewellyn Williams John Abineri |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | 1984–1986 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| IMDb profile | |
Robin of Sherwood, retitled Robin Hood in the US, was an acclaimed 1980s British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. It was made by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. The show starred first Michael Praed then Jason Connery as two different incarnations of the title character, and was created by Richard Carpenter. Unlike previous adaptations of the Robin Hood legend, Robin of Sherwood combined a gritty, authentic production design with elements of real-life history and pagan myth.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
There were three series, comprising a two-hour opening episode and 24 hour-long episodes, although the pilot is sometimes screened as two one-hour episodes. It was shot on film, and almost entirely on location, mostly in the north and west of England - HTV West in Bristol, UK, being the base of operations. The show's soundtrack was composed and performed by Irish folk group Clannad, winning a BAFTA award in 1985; their 1984 album Legend was comprised of music from the first series.
Together with Richard Lester's offbeat 1976 film Robin and Marian, Robin of Sherwood is probably the most influential treatment of the core Robin Hood legend since The Adventures of Robin Hood, being the first to introduce a realistic period setting and introducing the character of a Saracen outlaw.
Michael Praed played Robin Hood (or Robin of Loxley) in the first two seasons. His "Merry Men" consisted of Will Scarlet (played by Ray Winstone), who used to be known as Will Scathlock, before changing his name when his wife, Elena, was raped and trampled to death with horses by some Norman mercenaries, Little John (played by Clive Mantle), Friar Tuck (played by Phil Rose), Robin's adopted brother Much (played by Peter Llewellyn Williams), the Saracen Nasir (played by Mark Ryan) and Lady Marion (played by Judi Trott). As in the legend, Robin is opposed by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Nickolas Grace) and Sir Guy of Gisburne (Robert Addie), as well as the Sheriff's brother Abbot Hugo (Philip Jackson) (representing all the greedy abbots in the legends). Robin is assisted by Herne The Hunter (John Abineri), who sometimes appears as a forest spirit representing the powers of light and goodness, and sometimes as a mortal man.
At the end of the second season, Robin of Loxley is killed and Robert of Huntingdon (played by Jason Connery, whose father Sean Connery had played Robin in Robin and Marian) replaces him as Robin Hood. During the course of the season, the new Robin discovers that he is the half-brother of his nemesis Guy of Gisburne (an idea suggested to Carpenter by the fact that both actors had blond hair).
The series came to an end when Goldcrest was forced to pull out of the venture due to a downturn in the fortunes of their film arm. Goldcrest had been responsible for critical and commercial hits such as Chariots of Fire (1981) and Gandhi (1982) earlier in the eighties, but had hit a lean spell with such films as Revolution (1985) and Absolute Beginners (1986). As the series was expensive to make, HTV could not afford to produce it alone and no more episodes were made.
In April 2005, nearly twenty years after the series' cancellation, Richard Carpenter announced, via the show's official fan club, that he was writing a two-hour 'Robin of Sherwood' TV movie for ITV [1] and that he intended to reunite as many of the surviving cast for the production as was possible.
[edit] Cast and characters
- Robin of Loxley - Michael Praed
- Robert of Huntingdon - Jason Connery
- The Sheriff of Nottingham - Nickolas Grace
- Lady Marion of Leaford - Judi Trott
- Much - Peter Llewellyn Williams
- Will Scarlet - Ray Winstone
- Little John - Clive Mantle
- Guy of Gisburne - Robert Addie
- Friar Tuck - Phil Rose
- Nasir - Mark Ryan
- Abbot Hugo de Rainault- Philip Jackson
- Prince John - Phil Davis
- The Old Prisoner - Stuart Linden
- Arthur the Rat - himself
- Herne the Hunter - John Abineri
- Edward of Wickham - Jeremy Bulloch
- Baron Simon de Belleme - Anthony Valentine
- Gulnar - Richard O'Brien
- Meg - Claire Toeman
[edit] Crew
- Directed by: Ian Sharp, Robert Young, Ben Bolt, James Allen, Gerry Mill, Sid Robertson and Alex Kirby
- Produced by: Paul Knight, Esta Charkham and Patrick Dromgoole
- Written by: Richard Carpenter, Anthony Horowitz, Andrew McCulloch and John Flanagan
- Series created by: Richard Carpenter
- Cinematography by: Roger Pearce, Howard Rockliffe, Gary Breckon and Bob Edwards
- Music composed by: Clannad
- Production design by: John Biggs and Ken Sharp
- Costume design by: Lynette Cummin
- Casting by: Esta Charkham and Beth Charkham
- Stunt co-ordination by: Terry Walsh
- Horse Master: Steve Dent
[edit] Episodes
| Episode title | Original Air Date (UK) | Guest cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
[edit] Series 1 |
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| Robin Hood and the Sorcerer, part 1 | 28 April 1984 | Mark Audley (as Dickon), Paul Duggan (as Tom) | ||
| Robin Hood and the Sorcerer, part 2 - NB both parts originally broadcast in UK as one single feature-length episode. | 28 April 1984 | Mark Audley (as Dickon), Paul Duggan (as Tom) | ||
| The Witch Of Elsdon | 5 May 1984 | Angharad Rees (as Jennet of Elsdon), Cornelius Garrett (as Thomas of Elsdon) | ||
| Seven Poor Knights From Acre | 12 May 1984 | Yves Beneyton (as Reynald de Villaret), Duncan Preston (as Heinrich von Erlichshausen), Simon Rouse (as Siward) | ||
| Alan A Dale | 19 May 1984 | Peter Hutchinson (as Alan a Dale), Stephanie Tague (as Mildred) | ||
| The King's Fool | 26 May 1984 | John Rhys Davies (as King Richard), Gary Waldhorn (as Hubert Walter) | ||
[edit] Series 2 |
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| The Prophecy | 9 March 1985 | George Baker (as Richard of Leaford), Simon Dutton (as Mark), John Nettles (as De Leon) | ||
| The Children Of Israel | 16 March 1985 | David de Keyser (as Joshua de Talmont), Katharine Levy (as Sarah de Talmont) | ||
| Lord Of The Trees | 23 March 1985 | Oliver Tobias (as Bertrand de Nivelle) | ||
| The Enchantment | 30 March 1985 | Gemma Craven (as Lilith) | ||
| The Swords Of Wayland, part 1 | 6 April 1985 | Rula Lenska (as Morgwyn of Ravenscar), Dallas Adams (as Peter Verdelet), Norman Bowler (as Adam the miller) | ||
| The Swords Of Wayland, part 2 - NB both parts originally broadcast in UK as one single feature-length episode. | 6 April 1985 | Rula Lenska (as Morgwyn of Ravenscar), Dallas Adams (as Peter Verdelet), Anthony Steel (as Earl Godwin) | ||
| The Greatest Enemy | 13 April 1985 | Robert Daws (as Hubert de Giscard) | ||
[edit] Series 3 |
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| Herne’s Son, part 1 | 5 April 1986 | George Baker (as Richard of Leaford), Michael Craig (as Earl of Huntingdon), Oliver Cotton (as Lord Owen of Clun), Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), Daniel Peacock (as Sergeant Sparrow) | ||
| Herne’s Son, part 2 | 12 April 1986 | George Baker (as Richard of Leaford), Michael Craig (as Earl of Huntingdon), Oliver Cotton (as Lord Owen of Clun), Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), Daniel Peacock (as Sergeant Sparrow) | ||
| The Power of Albion | 19 April 1986 | George Baker (as Richard of Leaford) | ||
| The Inheritance | 26 April 1986 | Cathryn Harrison (as Isadora), Cyril Cusack (as Agrivaine), Jeremy Sinden (as Mortimer) | ||
| The Cross of St. Ciricus | 3 May 1986 | Dorothy Tutin (as Lady Margaret) | ||
| The Sheriff of Nottingham | 10 May 1986 | Lewis Collins (as Philip Mark), Valentine Pelka (as Sarak), Robert Daws (as Hubert de Giscard), Maureen Bennett (as Alison) | ||
| Cromm Cruac | 17 May 1986 | John Horsley (as Abbot), Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), Claire Parker (as Elena), Ian Redford (as Tom the Miller) | ||
| The Betrayal | 24 May 1986 | Matt Frewer (as Roger de Carnac), Ian Redford (as Tom) | ||
| Adam Bell | 31 May 1986 | Bryan Marshall (as Adam Bell), Patrick Travis (as Matthew), Amanda Hillwood (as Lady Isabel), Charlie Condou (as Martin) | ||
| The Pretender | 7 June 1986 | Reece Dinsdale (as Arthur), Patricia Hodge (as Queen Hadwisa) | ||
| Rutterkin | 14 June 1986 | Michael Craig (as Earl of Huntingdon), Ian Ogilvy (as Lord Edgar), Annabel Lee (as Mad Mab) | ||
| The Time of the Wolf, part 1 | 21 June 1986 | Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), John Harding (as William Brewer), Maureen Bennett (as Alison) | ||
| The Time of the Wolf, part 2 | 28 June 1986 | Richard O'Brien (as Gulnar), John Harding (as William Brewer), Maureen Bennett (as Alison) | ||
[edit] Places of action
[edit] Villages
- Loxley - burned village, from which Robin came.
- Wickham - village where lived Meg, girlfriend of Little John
- Cromm Cruac - village-phantom, created by Gulnar
- Elsdon
- Hathersage
- Uffcombe - village attacked by Hounds of Lucifer
[edit] Castles and cities
- Nottingham
- Castle of Belleme
- Castle of Lord Owen (Clun Castle)
- Castle of Gwydion
- Castle of Huntingdon
- Leaford
- Caerleon
- Newark
[edit] Abbeys
[edit] DVD releases
- 2002. "Robin Of Sherwood - The Complete Series 1 DVD." ASIN: B00005Q3VG Cat No.: 7952120
- 2002. "Robin Of Sherwood - The Complete Series 2 DVD." ASIN: B000066NSI Cat No.: 7952127
- 2002. "Robin Of Sherwood - Series 3 - Part 1 - Episodes 1 To 6 DVD." ASIN: B00006L9YS Cat No.: 7952128
- 2002. "Robin Of Sherwood - Series 3 - Part 2 - Episodes 7 To 13 DVD." ASIN: B00006SKVF Cat No.: 7952129
- 2005. "Robin Of Sherwood - Complete DVD." ASIN: B000B7KXOU Cat No.: 7952358
- 2003. "Robin of Sherwood - The Complete Series (NTSC)" ASIN: ? Cat No.: 7952130
[edit] Discography
Legend: Original Soundtrack from Robin of Sherwood/Remastered & Repackaged by Clannad, Audio CD August 25th 2003 ASIN: B0000AM6OW Cat No. 82876545022
Tracks are: Robin (the Hooded Man), Now is Here, Herne, Together We, Darkmere, Strange Land, Scarlet Inside, Lady Marion, Battles and Ancient Forest.
Robin (the Hooded Man) - the theme from the series was released on a 7" single in 1986, featuring Jason Connery on the picture sleeve. The B-side reportedly includes incidental music from the series not found on the "Legend" album. In addition, "Scarlet Inside" from the "Legend" album was released as a single in its own right.
In addition to the tracks on Legend, which were used extensively in the series, there is also additional music composed which does not feature on this album. Three are a new version of Caislean Oir from Clannad's Macalla album, and two live performances titled Robin of Sherwood Melody and (portions of) Dance & Teidhir Abhaile Riu from Clannad: Live in Concert (a 2005 release on Koch Records) - but there are still other pieces that have been used which are not even confirmed as Clannad compositions.
[edit] References
[edit] Bibliography
- Carpenter, Richard (1984). Robin of Sherwood. Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-031690-6. Novelization of the first series by series creator Richard Carpenter.
- May, Robin (1985). Robin of Sherwood: The Hounds of Lucifer. Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-031869-0. Novelizes the second series, but begins with The Swords of Wayland two-parter which actually came towards the end of the second series, not the beginning; it was intended to be shown first, but deferred to show its feature-length episode on the UK Bank Holiday weekend).
- Horowitz, Anthony, Carpenter, Richard (1986). Robin of Sherwood: The Hooded Man. Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-032058-X. Novelizes Herne's Son Parts 1 and 2 and The Power of Albion from the beginning of Series Three, showing how Robert of Huntingdon became 'Robin'.
- Carpenter, Richard (1988). Robin of Sherwood: The Time of the Wolf. Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-032660-X. The final episodes of Series Three (The Cross of St Ciricus, Rutterkin, and The Time of the Wolf Parts 1 & 2).
- Carpenter, Richard (1990). The Complete Adventures of Robin of Sherwood. Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-034450-0. Novelizations of Series One, Two, plus the beginning and end of Series Three.
- (1986) Robin of Sherwood Annual 1. Egmont Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7235-6758-1.
- Nicholson, Russ, Staplehurst, Graham (1987). Robin of Sherwood Game Books: The King's Demon No. 1. Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-032294-9.
- Nicholson, Russ, Mason, Paul (1987). Robin of Sherwood Game Books: Sword of the Templar No. 2. Puffin Books. ISBN 0-14-032295-7.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- BBC Wiltshire - Legend Convention Report
- Clive Banks - Robin of Sherwood Episode Guide
- The Hooded Man - Robin of Sherwood Fanlisting
- Interviews in Sherwood - Richard Carpenter
- Legend 2006
- Michael Praed's Fanfare - Official fan club (Robin of Loxley)
- Retrospective: Robin of Sherwood
- Robin of Sherwood Actors - notes some of the actors' genre appearances. Not up to date with the present.
- Robin of Sherwood Fanfic Archive
- Robin of Sherwood: The Reward Petition
- The Robin of Sherwood Webring
- RPG Net Review - Robin of Sherwood
- Scarlet Inside - a tribute to the character Will Scarlet
- Sounds of Sherwood
- Spirit of Sherwood official fanclub
- Official Site of Mark Ryan (Nasir)
- Memorial Site for Robert Addie (Guy of Gisburne) Originally Robert's official site.
